Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as CFD/FX brokers (leveraged trading on forex, indices, commodities and crypto), using the data of IG Markets' UK entity and Trading 212's UK entity. Scores, winners and data below compare these brokers as stock brokers (real shares and ETFs you own outright), using the data of IG Markets' UK entity and Trading 212's UK entity.
IG Markets
Regulated in your country IG Markets is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Trading 212
Regulated in your country Trading 212 is allowed by FCA to onboard clients residing in the UK.
83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Best for
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of traders IG Markets and Trading 212 are best suited to, based on what each one actually offers in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for day traders, high-volume traders and scalpers. Trading 212, on the other hand, is better for long-term investors. Professional traders, swing traders and news traders can choose either IG Markets or Trading 212.
| Overall score | IG Markets 90 Best 88 Best | Trading 212 69 -21 73 -15 |
|---|---|---|
| Day trading i | ||
| Long-term investing i | ||
| Professional traders i | ||
| High-volume traders i | ||
| Scalpers i | ||
| Swing traders i | ||
| News traders i | ||
| Algo traders i | ||
| Stock traders i | ||
| Crypto traders i | ||
| Futures traders i | ||
| Options traders i |
Regulation
What we compare A comparison between the financial authorities that supervise IG Markets and the ones that supervise Trading 212.IG Markets and Trading 212 are both regulated in the UK, by the FCA.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 100 | Trading 212 100 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulators | ||
| ESMA (European Union) i | ||
| FCA (United Kingdom) i | ||
| ASIC (Australia) i | ||
| CFTC (United States) i | ||
| NFA (United States) i | ||
| SEC (United States) i | ||
| CIRO (Canada) i | ||
| MAS (Singapore) i | ||
| SFC (Hong Kong) i | ||
| JFSA (Japan) i | ||
| FINMA (Switzerland) i | ||
| Tier-2 regulators | ||
| FMA (New Zealand) i | ||
| CBR (Russia) i | ||
| FSCA (South Africa) i | ||
| DFSA (Dubai) i | ||
| CSRC (China) i | ||
| ISA (Israel) i | ||
| LFSA (Malaysia) i | ||
| JSC (Jordan) i | ||
| CMA (Kenya) i | ||
| Tier-3 regulators | ||
| FSA (Seychelles) i | ||
| MMA (Maldives) i | ||
| SCB (Bahamas) i | ||
| FSC (Mauritius) i | ||
| VFSC (Vanuatu) i | ||
| FSC (Belize) i | ||
| CIMA (Cayman Islands) i | ||
| SV FSA (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) i | ||
| FSRC (St. Kitts & Nevis) i | ||
| BMA (Bermuda) i | ||
| BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands) i | ||
| EDR (External Dispute Resolution) i | ||
Safety
What we compare A comparison of the tools and services that IG Markets and Trading 212 have in place to protect your money in United Kingdom.IG Markets and Trading 212 both offer segregated client funds and an investor compensation scheme. IG Markets is also a licensed bank.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 Best 91 Best | Trading 212 79 -12 79 -12 |
|---|---|---|
| Company info | ||
| Is it publicly traded i | ||
| Is it a bank i | ||
| Year founded i | 1974 | 2004 |
| Parent company i | IG Group Holdings plc | Trading 212 Ltd |
| CEO i | Breon Corcoran | Michael Byrne |
| Money safety | ||
| Segregated client funds i | ||
| Two-factor authentication i | ||
| Investor compensation scheme i | ||
| Additional money insurance i | ||
| Partner bank i | Barclays|Lloyds | J.P. Morgan, Barclays |
| Brand power | ||
| Number of customers worldwide i | 820,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Annual revenue i | USD 987,300,000 | USD 299,000,000 |
| Monthly website search traffic i | 97.1K monthly visits | |
Costs
What we compare A comparison of what it costs to trade with IG Markets and with Trading 212 in United Kingdom, both on each trade and on holding the account.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX costs, because IG Markets is cheaper on EUR/USD, at 5.08 USD per lot (against Trading 212's 13 USD), has tighter S&P 500 CFD spreads, at 0.4 points (against Trading 212's 0.42 points), and has tighter gold CFD spreads, at 0.3 points (against Trading 212's 0.89 points). Neither IG Markets nor Trading 212 charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
Trading 212 is better than IG Markets for real stock costs, given that Trading 212 does not charge real-time market data fees or portfolio management fees, unlike IG Markets. Neither IG Markets nor Trading 212 charges inactivity fees or account maintenance fees.
| Section score | IG Markets 87 Best 75 -7 | Trading 212 36 -51 82 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Broker fees | ||
| Deposit fees i | ||
| Withdrawal fees i | ||
| Overnight fees i | ||
| Inactivity fees i | ||
| Currency conversion fees i | ||
| Discounts on volume i | ||
| Real time market data fee i | ||
| Dividend withholding i | ||
| Account opening fees i | ||
| Account maintenance fee i | ||
| Portfolio management fee i | ||
| Fees on CFDs | ||
| Forex commission per lot i | Free | Free |
| EUR/USD average standard spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average raw spread i | ||
| EUR/USD average fixed spread i | ||
| EUR/USD total cost per lot i | USD 5.075 | USD 13 |
| S&P 500 fees (CFD) i | 0.4 points | 0.42 points |
| Gold fees (CFD) i | 0.3 points | 0.89 points |
| Bitcoin fees (CFD) i | USD 36 | |
| US stocks fees (CFD) i | USD 0.02 | Free |
| Fees on stocks | ||
| Stock fee type i | Commission | Spread, Free |
| US stocks fees (real) i | Free | Free |
| ETF fees (real) i | Free | Free |
| Management costs i | ||
| Connection costs i | ||
| Fees on futures | ||
| Futures fees per contract i | USD 2 | |
| Platform fees i | ||
| Fees on options | ||
| Options fees per contract i | USD 2 | |
| Event fees i | ||
| Fees on savings plans | ||
| IRA opening fee i | ||
| IRA maintenance fee i | ||
| 401k opening fee i | ||
| 401k maintenance fee i | ||
Available markets
What we compare A comparison of the markets and products you can trade with IG Markets and with Trading 212 in United Kingdom, and of how many instruments each one gives access to.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX markets, since IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000), offers futures on indices and commodities, which Trading 212 does not, and offers options on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks.
IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for real stock markets, given that IG Markets gives access to 17,000 tradable symbols (against Trading 212's 10,000), offers futures on indices and commodities, which Trading 212 does not, and offers options on commodities, forex, indices and stocks, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer CFDs on commodities, forex, indices and stocks.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 Best 100 Best | Trading 212 65 -35 30 -70 |
|---|---|---|
| Total tradable symbols i | 17,000 | 10,000 |
| Currency pairs i | ||
| Indices i | ||
| Commodities i | ||
| Stocks i | ||
| ETF i | ||
| Cryptocurrencies i | ||
| Bonds i | ||
| Interest rates i | ||
| Portfolios i | ||
| CFDs i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks |
| Futures i | Indices, Commodities | |
| Options i | Commodities, Forex, Indices, Stocks | |
| Assets you can own i | ETF, Stocks |
Platform
What we compare A comparison of the trading platforms that IG Markets and Trading 212 make available to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for platforms, as IG Markets offers MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4 and TradingView, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer a proprietary platform and one-click trading.
| Section score | IG Markets 91 Best 91 Best | Trading 212 81 -10 81 -10 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary platform i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 i | ||
| cTrader i | ||
| Social trading platform i | ||
| Copy trading platform i | ||
| ZuluTrade i | ||
| TradingView i | ||
| Duplitrade i | ||
| Mirror Trader i | ||
| NinjaTrader i | ||
| AutoChartist i | ||
| Real time pricing i | ||
| 5 digit pricing i | ||
| One-click trading i |
Mobile
What we compare A comparison of the mobile apps of IG Markets and Trading 212 in United Kingdom, and of what each one lets you do from your phone.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for mobile trading, because IG Markets offers the MetaTrader 5 app, the MetaTrader 4 app and mobile charting tools, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer a proprietary mobile app and mobile trading signals.
| Section score | IG Markets 93 Best 93 Best | Trading 212 74 -19 74 -19 |
|---|---|---|
| Proprietary app i | ||
| Social trading app i | ||
| Copy trading app i | ||
| MetaTrader 4 app i | ||
| MetaTrader 5 app i | ||
| cTrader app i | ||
| Mobile trading signals i | ||
| Mobile alerts i | ||
| Mobile charting tools i | ||
| Mobile drawing tools i | ||
| Mobile watchlist i | ||
| Smartwatch app i |
Trading features
What we compare A comparison of the trading tools and strategies that IG Markets and Trading 212 allow on their platforms in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX trading features, since IG Markets offers guaranteed stop losses and tier-1 liquidity providers, which Trading 212 does not, and allows for scalping. IG Markets and Trading 212 both offer negative balance protection and trailing stops.
IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for real stock trading features, as IG Markets has no minimum trade size on stocks (against Trading 212's 1 USD), offers tier-1 liquidity providers, which Trading 212 does not, and allows for automated trading. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer trailing stops and fractional shares.
| Section score | IG Markets 89 Best 92 Best | Trading 212 76 -13 89 -3 |
|---|---|---|
| Trade execution | ||
| Broker type i | Agency | Agency |
| Average execution time i | 14 ms | |
| Slippage occurrence i | 11% | |
| Requotes occurrence i | ||
| Tier-1 liquidity providers i | ||
| PFOF i | ||
| Leverage | ||
| Major FX pairs leverage i | 30:1 | 30:1 |
| Minor/Exotic FX pairs leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Major indices leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Minor indices leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Gold leverage i | 20:1 | 20:1 |
| Commodities leverage i | 10:1 | 10:1 |
| Equities leverage i | 5:1 | 5:1 |
| Cryptocurrency leverage i | ||
| Risk management | ||
| Stop losses i | ||
| Take profits i | ||
| Limit orders i | ||
| Trailing stop i | ||
| Margin call i | ||
| OCO orders i | ||
| Guaranteed stop loss i | ||
| Negative balance protection i | ||
| Minimum trade size (FX) i | 0.01 lots | 0.01 lots |
| Minimum trade size (stocks) i | USD 0 | USD 1 |
| Fractional stocks i | ||
| Trading compliance | ||
| Scalping strategies allowed i | ||
| Hedging strategies allowed i | ||
| Automated trading strategy allowed i | ||
| EAs use allowed i | ||
| HFT strategy allowed i | ||
| VPS use allowed i | ||
| API use allowed i | ||
| Price scraping allowed i | ||
| FIFO rule applies i | ||
Account types
What we compare A comparison of the kinds of account you can open at IG Markets and at Trading 212 in United Kingdom, and of who each one is meant for.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for CFD/FX account types, given that IG Markets offers a corporate account, a raw spread account and a spread betting account, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer a demo account and a professional traders account.
Trading 212 is better than IG Markets for real stock account types, since Trading 212 offers a stock investing account, a margin investing account and an unlimited demo account, which IG Markets does not. IG Markets and Trading 212 both offer a demo account and a standard account.
| Section score | IG Markets 46 Best 29 -40 | Trading 212 38 -8 69 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Demo account i | ||
| Unlimited demo account i | ||
| Standard account i | ||
| Micro account i | ||
| Cent account i | ||
| Nano account i | ||
| Raw spread account i | ||
| ECN account i | ||
| Swap-free account i | ||
| Islamic account i | ||
| Professional traders account i | ||
| Fixed spread account i | ||
| Spread betting account i | ||
| Copy trading account i | ||
| Corporate account i | ||
| Managed account i | ||
| Stock investing account i | ||
| Margin investing account i | ||
| Savings account i | ||
| Retirement account i |
Account opening
What we compare A comparison of what it takes to open and fund an account with IG Markets and with Trading 212 in United Kingdom.Trading 212 is better than IG Markets for account opening, given that Trading 212 offers 3 account base currencies (against IG Markets' 1), and has a lower minimum withdrawal, at 1 USD (against IG Markets' 100 USD). That said, IG Markets asks for no minimum deposit at all (against Trading 212's 1 USD).
| Section score | IG Markets 62 -3 62 -3 | Trading 212 65 Best 65 Best |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit i | USD 0 | USD 1 |
| Minimum withdrawal i | USD 100 | USD 1 |
| Wire transfers i | ||
| Credit cards i | ||
| Debit cards i | ||
| eWallets i | ||
| Local payment methods i | ||
| Account base currencies i | GBP | EUR, GBP, USD |
| Deposit waiting time i | Instant | up to 1 business days |
| Withdrawal waiting time i | up to 1 business days | up to 2 business days |
| Bonus program i |
Customer care
What we compare A comparison of the customer support of IG Markets and Trading 212 in United Kingdom, in how it can be reached and how fast it answers.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for customer care, because IG Markets offers customer support in 12 languages (against Trading 212's 11), has a website in 12 languages (against Trading 212's 11), and offers a dedicated account manager, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer live chat and email support.
| Section score | IG Markets 78 Best 78 Best | Trading 212 58 -20 58 -20 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of languages supported i | 12 | 11 |
| Website languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Website available in English i | ||
| Customer support languages i | Arabic, Danish, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish | Arabic, German, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Chinese |
| Customer support in English i | ||
| Call back request i | ||
| Email support i | ||
| Phone support i | ||
| Live chat i | ||
| Priority customer support i | ||
| Dedicated account manager i | ||
| Cash sweep i | ||
| Stock lending i | ||
| Distributes proceeds i | ||
| Tax withholding agent i | ||
| Tax assistance i |
Learning
What we compare A comparison of the educational material that IG Markets and Trading 212 provide to their clients in United Kingdom.IG Markets is better than Trading 212 for learning, as IG Markets offers education for advanced traders, webinars and professional reports, which Trading 212 does not. Both IG Markets and Trading 212 offer education for beginners and an education center.
| Section score | IG Markets 100 Best 100 Best | Trading 212 43 -57 43 -57 |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ||
| Education center i | ||
| Education for beginners i | ||
| Education for advanced traders i | ||
| Webinars i | ||
| Tutorials i | ||
| Glossary i | ||
| Research | ||
| Economic calendar i | ||
| Traders' sentiment i | ||
| Daily market commentary i | ||
| Daily trading ideas i | ||
| News via social media i | ||
| Professional reports i | ||
| Watchlist i | ||
IG Markets vs Trading 212: which one should you choose?
IG Markets
CFD/FX Choose IG Markets if you want a CFD and forex broker with low trading costs, a wide choice of markets and a guaranteed stop loss.
Stocks Choose IG Markets if you want a broker for securities investing with options and futures trading, a wide choice of markets and several trading platforms.
Open Account 70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Trading 212
CFD/FX Choose Trading 212 if you want an online CFD broker with several account base currencies and low minimum withdrawals.
Stocks Choose Trading 212 if you want a share dealing service with ETFs and stocks to own outright.
Open Account 83% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.Other popular comparisons
Below are other head-to-head comparisons that include IG Markets or Trading 212, each scored with the same data and method as this page.
